After completing the autopsy on Friday afternoon, Dr Sohail Mahmud, head of the forensic department at Dhaka Medical College, said she died due to excessive bleeding in her vaginal and anal areas.

Samples were also collected for DNA profiling, as well as to determine whether any anaesthetic drug was administered to Anushka prior to death.

Dr Sohail added that the exact cause of death could only be ascertained once the autopsy report is out.

Earlier, evidence necessary to determine her precise age was also collected. Later, the body was handed over to her family who would be taking it to Kushtia for burial.

Also read: O-level student ‘rape, murder’: Suspect Dihan confesses before court

Also on Friday, Fardin Iftekhar Dihan, Anushka's supposed boyfriend who is alleged to have raped and killed her at his family's flat in Kalabagan, gave a confessional statement under Section 164 of the CrPC before a Dhaka court.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mamunur Rashid recorded the statement and sent him to jail pending further hearing, according to an officer of Kalabagan Police Station.

The court has fixed Jan 26 for the next hearing.

Anushka's father filed a case against Dihan on Thursday night, accusing him of sexually assaulting and then murdering her.

Also read: O-level student ‘rape, murder’: Case filed, 1 shown arrested

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Ramna Division) Sajjadur Rahman said A-level student Dihan was accused of rape and murder. “We had shown him arrested and kept three more suspects in custody for interrogation.”

“Police produced Dihan before a Dhaka court on Friday and sought permission to interrogate him in custody,” Sajjadur said.

The case statement was sent to the court on Friday and was accepted by Metropolitan Magistrate Rashid. The court ordered Kalabagan Police Station’s Inspector AFM Asaduzzaman to investigate the case and file a report.

Police received the 17-year-old victim’s body from the hospital, and arrested Dihan and three of his friends from there.  

Also read: O-level student ‘raped, killed’ in Dhaka

The victim had gone to a friend’s house in Kalabagan for group study, family sources said.

Death penalty for rape ineffectual?

The government last November amended the law changing the maximum penalty for rape to death. The death penalty was already stipulated for incidents of rape followed by murder.

Even after the law was changed on October 1, 2020 some 160 incidents of rape were reported in the country till December 31, according to advocacy group Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), suggesting the provision of death penalty may have no practical effect on deterring sexual violence against women.

Also read: Bangladesh introduces death penalty for rape

Last year, 1,627 women became a victim of rape. Fifty-three of them were killed after rape and 14 of the victims took their own lives, according to ASK. The actual number is believed to be higher as many victims choose not to report assaults fearing their safety.